Too Mulch of a Good Thing...

Here is a picture of Alice and Darren working up a small dust storm mulching in about a million degree heat:

*Grumble* That okra better appreciate this.

When asked, Darren communicated to me how he felt about my mulching requests via a single finger...

(a thumbs down, haha).

Mulching is debated in the farming community. On one hand, it can heat up the soil more than you want, is very labor intensive, can require many resources, and is pretty impractical on a large scale unless you have the right crazy expensive equipment -- which pretty much limits you to plasticulture (a whole 'nother can of worms).  On the other hand, it can warm up your soil/maintain moisture levels, keep your minions tired enough to prevent a revolt, and make your high tunnel look like a picture from a magazine:

Beautiful hay mulched tomatoes. <3      Oh an there's John.

So that's pretty much what we've been doing this week. I promise the next post will have more lovely pictures. I will also introduce Wilfred the Scarecrow, although he needs a bit of a makeover, as he is presently face-less and disemboweled.

Here's for your daily dose of cute:

Baby pumpkins from a few weeks ago! They're nearly a foot tall now. :)

P.S. Volunteer day this Thursday morning, 8-12!  I can't promise I won't ask you to mulch, but I will promise you'll fall in love with the farm like I have.  Come visit!

Hooray for Volunteer Thursdays!

Hey folks, just a note to tell y'all Willow Lake Student Farm will be hosting Volunteer Thursdays every Thursday (8am-12pm) for the rest of the summer.  Come out and play!


Directions: Take Tuttle Creek Blvd./US-24 W to Barnes Road.  Stay on Barnes til you see the Little Grill. Directly across the road from the Little Grill is a gate to Tuttle Creek Park.  It will be dummy locked, so come on in (make sure to close it & dummy lock it though!). Hang a left & you'll see the farm on your left!

Happy Fourth!

A Sunday Smile

This past week, Darren the minion made a new friend. We know this because his friend did not 'void his bladder' upon him...

BFFL

In actual farm news, we've been working on our beehives! We already have one hive, and we just acquired a swarm and, with the help of the most awesome and brave James Coover, WLSF beekeeper, we introduced it to our farm.  The swarm had somehow been moved in to a cardboard box for an entire day, and when released, they were madder than a wet hen in a tote sack.  Fortunately for us, they calmed down quickly!

Indiana James and the Package of Doom

I'm personally getting a crash course in beekeeping and behavior, and it's fascinating.  For example, I had no idea that bees align the structure of their combs with the Earth's magnetism.  These are such mysterious little guys, and I hope this new batch decides to stay with us to teach us more!

Also, Alice the minion and I had a great opprotunity to check out all the new ag stuff happening at the Kansas City Urban Farm Tour.  We met some fantastic people and got a few ideas for our farm!  Here are a couple of links to places we visited:

Niles Home for children

Hoop Dog Studio

Urbavore Urban Farm


And here's for your daily dose of cute:

Baby Patty-Pan!

Have a lovely and delicious week!

Meet Chloe

This past week we got a new intern at Willow Lake Student Farm:
 

She is great at pest management (bugs, mice, rabbits, and birds), is super friendly, and must be part Ragdoll. Of course, we want her to find her original owners (so if you recognize her, please e-mail me at welthow1020@gmail.com), but in the meantime, she makes an excellently fuzzy addition to the farm!  :D

Baby Pictures!

Red slicer!

Squash

Baby Zucchini

Sweet peppers

Baby basil in the greenhouse

July and August promise to be tasty!  In other news, I got a chance to see the farm during last night's intense Kansas storm...

... which made for an incredible sky this morning!

Happy summer solstice!

Howdy, y'all!

Hello and welcome to the Willow Lake Student Farm blog! My name is Sarah, and I'm the new manager. I'm also from the Deep South (just moved 2 weeks ago!), so this blog is sure to be ripe with twangy colloquialisms.

But enough about me, you're here to learn about our awesome student-run (uncertified) organic farm! WLSF is on 2 acres of land at the edge of Tuttle Creek State Park. With the help of my amazing interns -- Isabel, Darren, Alice, and John (a.k.a. the minions) -- as well as the guidance of Dr. Rhonda Janke, we manage around 50 5 x 100 foot beds that are currently producing a bounty of summer delights: kale, chard, garlic, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, okra, peppers, corn, etc. But my favorite is...

BERRIES! We have a good many blackberry, raspberry, and black raspberry (why yes, there is a difference) bushes that have just started producing. Needless to say, these are fun to pick because of all the snacking we get away with!

Here are a few photos from around the farm:

Our most excellent high tunnel

A view of a few rows prior to mowing


Our valient steed

If you're curious about what's happening at the farm, you're in the right place! If you have any questions concerning our CSA or markets, shoot me an e-mail at welthow1020@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!